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Kindred Roots YouTube Channel

I have had a Kindred Roots YouTube channel for a few years. When I started it, I wasn't sure what type of content I wanted to share. I had no experience in videography. I didn't have a good camera. I had no knowledge of editing videos...

I just knew that one day, I would be able to reach a bigger audience through YouTube.

Fast forward a few years and I have a decent camera, I have learned a bit about editing, I have more experience with genealogy, and I have friends and supporters who are interested in my work.

I was watching a few videos from various channels and really enjoyed what they did. I love how they showed historic sites, cemeteries, old houses, and explained the history behind the places and the people. 

I began binge watching. I wanted to know more. Would they ever mention a name that I recognized from my own research? The answer is no - at least not yet, anyway.

Jonesville Cemetery - Alachua County Florida

So, I  thought that I could take a stab at it and document some places near me that I know a bit about. Maybe there were others out there, like me, that wanted to see these places where our ancestors lived, worked, worshipped, died, and were laid to rest. I wanted to show the old roads that people seldom travel anymore. I wanted to show the "real" beauty of the South. There is so much more beyond the highways, buildings, concrete, and modern amenities that we are so used to seeing. I wanted to show what our ancestors saw.

I hit the road. Sometimes, I ventured only a few miles from my home and somedays I drove a few hours. I took lots of video (some, admittedly, not very good.) I began editing the videos to the best of my ability and knew that there needed to be more. I began looking at the people buried in the cemeteries I visited. One in particular, Ebenezer, I knew I had a lot of ancestors and kin who were buried there for many generations. I had pictures of these people! Why not show their faces in the video? I had the ability to put a face behind the name on a gravestone. These were real people - more than just a name! 

Now I had a goal! No one else that I saw was doing this. But this was just one cemetery and I knew about these people and already had their photos. Could I do this with other cemeteries? The editing process and adding all of the photos into the video was very time consuming. I spent hours working on the Ebenezer video. Now I had to find photos of people I had never researched or even knew nothing about. Is this even possible? Is it worth the time? The answer was - absolutely! If I didn't do it, perhaps no one would and I felt that these people needed to be recognized and the photos shared. 

Luckily, there is a website called Findagrave where many cemeteries are recorded along with the graves and sometimes, even photos. So, while I edit my videos, I stop at each grave in the video and see if I can find photos or information on the deceased by searching Findagrave and Ancestry. It is very time consuming and sometimes I feel over my head. But if I could find a photo, I wanted to share it. 

Jones Creek Cemetery - Long County Georgia

Many times I will arrive at a cemetery and I immediately know that I can't possibly film each grave. the cemeteries are too big, there are too many internments, and sometimes I'm short on time. Plus, I can't imagine videos of cemeteries that are hours long will get many views on YouTube. So, unfortunately, I can't always accomplish my goal - but, at least, I can document some. I can try to capture the serenity of the final resting place of so many. I can learn about these people and I can share with others what I know and what I have learned.

I am not the greatest speaker or narrator. I am not a great videographer or editor. I am not very photogenic and do not like showing myself in videos. I am a shy introvert. But I have a passion. I have a love. I have knowledge to share.

Backroad - Levy County Florida

So, my friends, if you bear with me as I learn - I will try to improve. I want to help you. I want you to learn about our history. I need your help too! If you have information to share, by all means do! You may be the person to bless someone else with a photo or knowledge about an ancestor that they have been searching for. I need your help to build the brand of Kindred Roots. To be recognizable. To be found by others. Without going into too much detail on the technical side of things, to be found in searches and to be able to be seen by others; videos and posts need to gain traction by being shared, being "liked," having comments, having Facebook followers, having YouTube subscribers. The more you have, the more that gets seen by the "powers that be" algorithms that Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube uses.

I hope to one day have the ability to monetize my channel. This would give me the ability to earn extra funds for my adventures, purchase better equipment, and also earn some residual income for me and my family. I am a single father and I still work a full time job. Do I expect to retire from my job and earn a living making YouTube videos about genealogy and cemeteries? No. It is an amazing thought and a dream that could possibly be achieved, but I am also a realist. So, if it happens by divine providence, then so be it. But until then, I will continue this path to share, educate, and maybe even inspire as others have inspired me. 

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Reidsville, Tattnall County GA

Reidsville, Tattnall County GA

 

Not all Southern county seats are located in large metropolitan cities. Reidsville GA is a perfect example of this. With a population of roughly 5000 people, it still holds the charm of a small Southern town with the quaintness of the old South. Founded in about 1828, many people have lived and died here. Many families have called it home for generations, and yet, many families have moved away with prospects of a better life. 

It is unclear to me why, but it seems that many of my ancestors have, at one point or another, lived in Tattnall County. Being so rural, and with such a small population, it seems odd to me how so many in my family tree have come from Tattnall County. Many of these families of mine never even met until generations later in Florida. So I had to take a trip to Tattnall County to see what the scenery was like, what the towns looked like, the view of the farms, the old houses, and the graves of those who came before me.

Tattnall County Courthouse

Original look of the courthouse

Passing through Reidsville, I gazed upon the beautiful architecture of the Tattnall County Courthouse. I had to stop and take a few photos and videos. The current courthouse building was built in 1902, and was the 3rd courthouse building of Tattnall County. Over the last century, this building has had renovations and restorations made to it. Originally, it looked a bit different with a clock tower that nearly doubled it's height. Here in this building, and the previous ones before it, my ancestors and kin have conducted business, made transactions, and applied for marriage licenses. Inside, the records of my people are stored for safe keeping for future generations.

Alexander Hotel

Next to the courthouse, I saw an old two story building that had such charm to it. I walked around it to see a sign stating that it was the Alexander Hotel. Older than the current courthouse, the Alexander Hotel was built in 1892 by Doctor Orlando Alexander. He ran the hotel for many years as a place for people to stay when they traveled to town to conduct business at the courthouse. 

It was, at one point, in a sad shape and fallen into disrepair. A committee was formed to restore the old building and preserve it's beauty. It is currently used as a civic center for Reidsville.

 Veterans Memorial Park

Civil War Monument

Adjacent to the Alexander Hotel was a small park with numerous monuments and a path that would take a pedestrian by each monument. Each memorial was dedicated to a war that our country has participated in and on each monument were the names of Tattnall County residents that participated in that war. It was a beautiful homage to our ancestors and kin who have served and fought for our country.

The following is video that I took of the courthouse, Alexander Hotel, and the Veterans Memorial Park followed by photos of each of the monuments.

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A Pilgrimage

Easter weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to rural Georgia to explore backroads and visit some cemeteries. This was a sort-of homecoming for me. It may be strange saying that considering I had never been to this part of Georgia. But... this was the land of my ancestors. This was where pioneers, sharing my DNA, settled, worked, prayed, and died. I felt so much of a spiritual connection to these lands, I felt... home.

My first stop, after a 4 hour drive, was to the historic Jones Creek Baptist Church in Long County (formerly a part of Liberty County.) This church and cemetery was special to me because, although it was a small church in a very rural area of Georgia, I had numerous ancestors from various lines of my family tree attend here. In fact, my 5th great grandfather, Moses Westberry, was the first preacher and one of the founders of the church which was formed in 1810. As I researched Moses, I realized that he wasn't the only one. Charles and Martha Flowers were in the first group of congregants to leave Beards Creek Baptist Church and attend Jones Creek. Richard and Mary Hendley Horne were listed as early congregants. In 1856, their son, Hendley Foxworth Horne, built the old church building that stands today. Although simple in construction and style, it is a testament to the 19th century building practices and has stood the test of time through hurricanes, storms, harsh winters, and the insufferable southern Summer humidity. 

I strolled around the building silently and imagined the lives of those who came before us. These were a simple folk. Workers of the land. God fearing. These were my people. I stepped into the cemetery and began noticing the names of the headstones. I began recognizing more and more surnames. They were names I have seen before in my tree. Names that now felt more real to me. These were real people. This is where they congregated, met their future spouses, held important meetings, and now reside for eternity. My people.

As I finished walking through the hallowed grounds, I had noticed the creek that ran next to the property. This was Jones Creek. It was here that many of my people were baptized. This was their holy water. What a sight it was. It was a brief look into the past. The running creek flowed through the Georgia foliage, under the trees that have shaded these waters for many years. This creek washed the sins away of my people. I stood in awe, as if time had stopped. It was here, within the natural beauty of this land that I saw a slight hill that went down to the waters. This must have been where Moses led his people for their baptism. This was where spiritual lives changed.

I noticed there were more graves in the woods behind the fence of the cemetery. I was puzzled by this. Were these graves a part of the cemetery? A sign on an old wooden outbuilding answered my question. This was the "black cemetery." These graves were not out in the open within the fence of a well-manicured cemetery. These were under the same trees that shadowed the creek. The land wasn't as tidy. The leaves crunched under my feet as I noticed indentions in the ground. These were probably graves too. No marker to give their name. These could have been graves of the enslaved. They could have been graves of the poor who couldn't afford a headstone. Perhaps they once had wooden markers that have disintegrated over the years. There were quite a few that had headstones. People with names. Regardless of age, race, sex, or societal rank; they were people at peace under the hallowed trees besides their holy creek. They may have worked for decades in the fields, under the hot sun; but now they were shaded. Protected by the trees. With one another. In death, they were in paradise.

My stop at Jones Creek originally, was to see the church where my people worshipped. To see the earth where my people remain. But it was so much more. It was here, at Jones Creek, where I felt something more than a genealogical quest. Here I felt the sacred ground. Here I walked the earth of my ancestors. Here I felt a connection. Here... I felt... home.  

The following is video footage from my visit to Jones Creek. 

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Backroads, Old Houses, and Cemeteries

Recently, I have started traveling backroads - exploring local surroundings - in search of remnants of history. I have decided to start filming these travels and share them with the world. I find that the roads less traveled are quite peaceful and show a glimpse into the past and display the natural beauty of the South. Being a genealogist, I am naturally pulled towards cemeteries. I want to see who is buried there, and wonder who these people were. Where did they live? Where did they come from? Can I find their former land or house? I want to document these places and show them to anyone who may be interested. Perhaps you have ancestors from these places, but you live far away and can not visit them. Perhaps you want to see the area that your ancestors lived. 

This is why I started posting videos to the Kindred Roots YouTube channel. I welcome anyone that is interested in these things to subscribe to the channel. Please leave a comment. Let me know if you have any more information to add. Are you related to anyone in these cemeteries, or anyone who lived in an old house I have filmed, and have photos to share? Please do! This can be a collaborative effort to memorialize those who came before us. 

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Letters from Lawson Webster to Atlanta Studstill Webster

Lawson William Webster and Atlanta Studstill Webster Clyatt

I know, I know... It's been a long time since I have posted anything to the Kindred Roots blog. Sometimes, life gets in the way. I have continued to work on my genealogy, albeit, not as much as I used to. 

Today, I would like to share some letters that were written in the early 1900's by my great grandfather, Lawson (L.W.) Webster, to his girlfriend/wife, Atlanta Studstill. 

Lawson William Webster was born in Washigton County, GA in 1884 to Lewis Webster and Ella Sheppard. He moved to North Florida around the turn of the 20th century. It was here that he would meet Atlanta Studstill.

Laura Darlin Smith Studstill and Atlanta Studstill

Atlanta was born in 1889 in Levy County, FL near what is now Chiefland; to Hustus "Hute" Studstill and Laura Darlin Smith. Atlanta and Lawson would have 4 children together. Lewis, Mildred, Lawson, and Dorothy "Dottie."

I know some of the handwriting is hard to read, but I hope you can get an understanding of what was being written. There was a bit of drama, and there was some pain as their first child, Lewis, died shortly after birth in December of 1909. 

Not all of the letters are dated, so I have done my best to place them in order, but the ones with unknown dates are towards the end.

Lawson would die fairly young in 1930 on a trip to Alabama. Atlanta remarried to Sebastian Cabot Clyatt in Levy County. She would pass away in 1965. Unfortunately, She would witness the death of her son, Lawson Jr. in 1957. They are all buried in Ebenezer Cemetery near Chiefland, FL.

Mildred Webster

Atlanta Studstill Webster Clyatt

Lawson Webster Jr. and his wife Annie Pearl Scoggins Webster

Dorothy "Dottie" Webster